All tech people are now working from home remotely and safely. Can architects/engineers/designers work remotely from home? Or, are we the last one to left out in ghost town, commuting by public transportations, touching public buttons and handrails, having face-to-face meetings until we all get sick? Please share your challenges and concerns, success and failure stories here!
The immediate issue I can see is the laptop requires very high spec to run multiple heavy software, and we need to inspect actual samples with multiple people.
The immediate issue is your boss letting you, no? My computer at home could run circles around our computers at work. If not, remote login options are widely available. It's definitely not going to be the technology that stops you.
Mar 10, 20 7:47 am ·
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Non Sequitur
The main issue I see is supervision of the grunt workers and quality control. Harder to control hours spent, drawing coordination, and deadlines when no one is present... plus clients management + CA require decent level of physical presence.
Mar 10, 20 8:06 am ·
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zonker
I'm one of those "grunt workers"
Mar 10, 20 12:06 pm ·
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Wood Guy
Code, are you an office-based or home-based grunt worker?
I work remotely for a couple of firms plus do my own work. It works great for me. My (new) computer is far more powerful and has more software than any computer in a firm. The job is drawing buildings, reading codes, and writing emails with occasional meetings. Of course it can be done remotely. I think it is better suited to remote work than office work.
Mar 10, 20 9:51 am ·
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Wilma Buttfit
I do work for an architect who lives about 40 miles away so we meet at our "office" about halfway between us about once a week. We meet in an atrium that has a bunch of large tables that's always available and free. I've noticed several others do the same - people with drawings, pocket protectors, and calculators (engineers?) and people with hard hats (construction workers!)
Mar 10, 20 9:57 am ·
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tduds
That sounds like a great setup.
Mar 10, 20 12:14 pm ·
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Wilma Buttfit
Just about perfect.
Mar 10, 20 1:52 pm ·
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Wood Guy
tintt, if this is too personal please ignore it, but when I have subcontracted to others I have charged a steeply discounted rate, and when I've subbed work to others it's the same. If you do this as well, do you have any trouble prioritizing work based on compensation?
Mar 10, 20 2:40 pm ·
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Wilma Buttfit
I don't charge other architects what I charge other clients for sure. Kinda like wholesale vs retail pricing. My costs are less too because I don't have to seek new work all the time if they just feed it to me. Win-win. They still make money but don't have to draw or design or they just do the parts they want. Then they use their extra time to get more work.
Mar 10, 20 6:35 pm ·
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Taso
tintt, how do you work when you need to coordinate with other team members during early design phase? And
selecting materiality?
Mar 11, 20 2:19 am ·
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Wilma Buttfit
taso, it depends. Early design is either headed up by one person with support from others or you start by everyone coming up with something, everyone taking a look, and then finding a path forward. Materials - through samples, drawings, cut sheets, and photographs like everyone else.
I've had about ten different architects or drafters work for me remotely, and only two were experienced and self-directed enough for it to work for me, and even those were hard to manage in some ways. It probably reflects more on me than on them, as I know ithe arrangement can work for others. But I've decided that at least for now I can't have remote help.
I do somewhat complicated residential projects on relatively tight budgets, which doesn't make it easy to get help. It also doesn't help that I'm not licensed (but legal for the jobs I do) which limits my labor pool to some degree.
I'd say it's entirely possible. I've just never worked for a firm that allows it. :(
To be fair at least 20% of my work from home time would be spent telling my dog that he's a good boy instead of doing architecture.
Mar 10, 20 4:59 pm ·
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citizen
^ Supportive work environment... especially if he is, in fact, a good boy.
Mar 10, 20 5:33 pm ·
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Chad Miller
Oh he is. He also knows it.
Mar 10, 20 6:16 pm ·
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archi_dude
I mean I feel like more than 20% of peoples time is spent on needless bathroom breaks, playing on phones, exploring google earth. So essentially same result less souls ground into the dirt
Mar 10, 20 8:28 pm ·
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Chad Miller
Your utilization ratio sucks if you're at 80%. That or you're a partner.
Mar 11, 20 5:54 pm ·
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atelier nobody
When I was in Technical Services (supporting all the project teams, not a regular part of any of them), my target utilization rate was 80%.
Mar 11, 20 7:26 pm ·
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atelier nobody
Also, Chad, if you're claiming you record GO time every time you pee or get a cup of coffee, or every time a coworker comes to your desk for a chat, I call BS.
\
I work from home up to 3 days a week depending on the nature of my tasks and team needs. In a previous job mid-management up was usually traveling at least a week every month and essentially worked remotely those periods full time. it works just fine. at home i waste time exactly as much as i do in the office, and which only when there is nothing obviously important at hand for me to do.
there really is no part of architecture desk work that can't be done remotely if an office is willing to support it. it takes extra effort to set things up and plan the team's time, but it also seems to help the team react smoothly to unexpected issues that require extra labor.
it is important to arrange regular time together with the team though to enable colleagues to develop relationships so that they can work together well. and make sure younger staff are pulled into roles where they learn and feel well supported.
Can Architectural job be done remotely?
All tech people are now working from home remotely and safely. Can architects/engineers/designers work remotely from home? Or, are we the last one to left out in ghost town, commuting by public transportations, touching public buttons and handrails, having face-to-face meetings until we all get sick?
Please share your challenges and concerns, success and failure stories here!
The immediate issue I can see is the laptop requires very high spec to run multiple heavy software, and we need to inspect actual samples with multiple people.
stop with the paranoia.
Seconded
The immediate issue is your boss letting you, no? My computer at home could run circles around our computers at work. If not, remote login options are widely available. It's definitely not going to be the technology that stops you.
The main issue I see is supervision of the grunt workers and quality control. Harder to control hours spent, drawing coordination, and deadlines when no one is present... plus clients management + CA require decent level of physical presence.
I'm one of those "grunt workers"
Code, are you an office-based or home-based grunt worker?
I work remotely for a couple of firms plus do my own work. It works great for me. My (new) computer is far more powerful and has more software than any computer in a firm. The job is drawing buildings, reading codes, and writing emails with occasional meetings. Of course it can be done remotely. I think it is better suited to remote work than office work.
I do work for an architect who lives about 40 miles away so we meet at our "office" about halfway between us about once a week. We meet in an atrium that has a bunch of large tables that's always available and free. I've noticed several others do the same - people with drawings, pocket protectors, and calculators (engineers?) and people with hard hats (construction workers!)
That sounds like a great setup.
Just about perfect.
tintt, if this is too personal please ignore it, but when I have subcontracted to others I have charged a steeply discounted rate, and when I've subbed work to others it's the same. If you do this as well, do you have any trouble prioritizing work based on compensation?
I don't charge other architects what I charge other clients for sure. Kinda like wholesale vs retail pricing. My costs are less too because I don't have to seek new work all the time if they just feed it to me. Win-win. They still make money but don't have to draw or design or they just do the parts they want. Then they use their extra time to get more work.
tintt, how do you work when you need to coordinate with other team members during early design phase? And
selecting materiality?
taso, it depends. Early design is either headed up by one person with support from others or you start by everyone coming up with something, everyone taking a look, and then finding a path forward. Materials - through samples, drawings, cut sheets, and photographs like everyone else.
I've had about ten different architects or drafters work for me remotely, and only two were experienced and self-directed enough for it to work for me, and even those were hard to manage in some ways. It probably reflects more on me than on them, as I know ithe arrangement can work for others. But I've decided that at least for now I can't have remote help.
I do somewhat complicated residential projects on relatively tight budgets, which doesn't make it easy to get help. It also doesn't help that I'm not licensed (but legal for the jobs I do) which limits my labor pool to some degree.
I'd say it's entirely possible. I've just never worked for a firm that allows it. :(
To be fair at least 20% of my work from home time would be spent telling my dog that he's a good boy instead of doing architecture.
^ Supportive work environment... especially if he is, in fact, a good boy.
Oh he is. He also knows it.
I mean I feel like more than 20% of peoples time is spent on needless bathroom breaks, playing on phones, exploring google earth. So essentially same result less souls ground into the dirt
Your utilization ratio sucks if you're at 80%. That or you're a partner.
When I was in Technical Services (supporting all the project teams, not a regular part of any of them), my target utilization rate was 80%.
Also, Chad, if you're claiming you record GO time every time you pee or get a cup of coffee, or every time a coworker comes to your desk for a chat, I call BS. \
I'd settle for folks being remotely competent.
Harsh. You should write that on redline set.
ouch, but yeah
agree... would have made my day much better if that was the case.
Pffft. I typically have a utilization factor 90-95%. All my posts here and bathroom breaks take up the remaining 5-10%
I work from home up to 3 days a week depending on the nature of my tasks and team needs. In a previous job mid-management up was usually traveling at least a week every month and essentially worked remotely those periods full time. it works just fine. at home i waste time exactly as much as i do in the office, and which only when there is nothing obviously important at hand for me to do.
there really is no part of architecture desk work that can't be done remotely if an office is willing to support it. it takes extra effort to set things up and plan the team's time, but it also seems to help the team react smoothly to unexpected issues that require extra labor.
it is important to arrange regular time together with the team though to enable colleagues to develop relationships so that they can work together well. and make sure younger staff are pulled into roles where they learn and feel well supported.
Best part of remote work is naptime.
I have had no problem working remotely from Mud Butte, South Dakota for years. When every the feeling hits me I go toss a couple of Mud Pies!
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